Married Life, Season 2
Like a bear to honey…
I have been chuckling to myself all week. A friend asked how Married Life-Season 2, was going. I paused and had to think about it…and chuckled some more.
She was referring to Mr. H and his “retirement” in December 2019. We are now roughly eight months, 34 weeks, 236 days into this new season of our lives…but whose counting?
Back in December I wrote that after thirty years, we were “retiring” from expat life to Tahilla Farm in the woods of New Hampshire. Mr. H had been living and working in Hong Kong for the past three years while I traveled back and forth, visiting him in China, family and friends in Australia and then back to New Hampshire to repeat the visits a few months later. At the most, we visited each other ten weeks each year.
Retirement was a big deal. Family and friends (and me)….were wondering how Mr. H would adjust from the pace of Hong Kong life to rural New Hampshire. Heck! I was wondering how I would adjust to this new pace of life! I am happy to report…like a bear to honey, for both of us.
There have been a few significant episodes in Season 2 of our Married Life…
In January and February, we were empty nesters. I wrote about Mr. H’s infinite appreciation for the woods, since then one of our barns has become one enormous wood shed. He graduated from his small Japanese hand saw to an electric chainsaw and a super duper wood splitter. His vision for Tahilla Farm knows no bounds. Over the past months we have added nine 4’ x 12’ raised beds, a pumpkin patch and a massive German Hugelkultur bed filled with tree remnants, wood chips, grass clippings, compost…you name it, it’s in there. This is just the beginning. See what I mean…a bear to honey!
Connor, Christine and Claire
In March, the kids moved back home as the world experienced the unimaginable and we all wondered if our lives would forever be changed by Covid-19…as we still do. Three of our four adult children returned to Tahilla Farm while our oldest remained in Australia with his family. We were officially in lockdown, nestled in through winter, spring and summer. It was a gentle time, we grew as a family, strengthening the bonds between us all.
And along came Tani….
By April, we were one of those pandemic families talking about puppies. It started in January, the conversations, notes and emails of research…. from me to Mr. H…the 'hint, hint, maybe it’s time to get a puppy”. Each time it was met with deaf ears…and lots of excuses. Then one day, over dinner, he surprised us all and said we were getting an English Springer Spaniel puppy, from Montana. Signed, sealed…and
Puppy ‘Tani’ gives us the look…
In May, after a very long drive from the far reaches of Montana to New Hampshire, an eight week old puppy bounced out of an animal transport van into our arms. We named him ‘Tani’, an abbreviation for Tāne. In Māori mythology it means God of Forests and Birds. True to his nature, Tani has settled into the spirt of the land, enchanting us all with his energetic puppy disposition. A popular pup, he now has his own Instagram page, Tahilla Tani.
June and July are a blur with gardens, puppy antics, intimate family reunions and lots of quiet time to create a new website for Collage of Life. There is much more but another thing I have noticed with the pandemic… ‘brain fog’.
Today, Mr. H and I roam the woods and meadows with a five month old puppy by our side (most of the time). Our children have moved back to their respective lives. We are taking it one day at a time, Married Life-Season 2 continues. As I type we have 20 weeks and two days until the close of the year. We all wait with bated breath…
While we wait….
On my porch table…
My reading taste during these ‘covid days’ has changed. It seems to be a common phenomenon, I have been searching for answers to questions I haven’t completely formulated in my mind. Questions that have taken me down a few different reading paths. What I enjoy most these days is what I learn from books. Even better if I get to travel as well.
I recently listened to Always Home by Fanny Singer on Audible and enjoyed it so much I purchased the book to mark pages as I listened along. Fanny Singer is the daughter of chef, author and food activist, Alice Waters. Fanny has written a heartwarming memoir filled with stories of food, family and delicious recipes. I especially enjoyed the childhood memories of travels with her mother, many through France, and the influence it had in her love of food. Her mother is a formidable force in the culinary world who has shaped her daughter’s palate in exquisite ways. It was a delight to imagine and travel with her through her words. I listened as I worked in our garden, understanding and appreciating the finer aspects of what we were growing while I tended plants. I loved learning from Fanny and count this as one of my favorite ‘listen and read’ books this year. I am revisiting The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters, cooking with mother and daughter. With thanks to Susie of The Brown Paper Book Club for suggesting this book!
I love when friends suggest a book and say “I think you will like this one”. My friend Maude always has the best suggestions. She recommended Writers and Lovers by Lily King. On Sunday morning I started it over my morning coffee and kept finding excuses all day to go back and read a bit more. Gardening could wait! This morning, as I sipped the last of my second cup of coffee and wiped away a happy tear, I finished it. It was just what I needed in a book. If you are looking for that in-between book, something a little different, definitely have a look at this one.
This is just a beautiful book, whether you read it or listen to it. The story of Wilding by Isabella Tree is fascinating, heartbreaking and galvanizing. Isabella Tree and her husband, Charlie Burrell meet the fate of so many farmers, struggling in the face of today’s challenges. Facing bankruptcy, they decide to restore 3.500 acres of their farmland, Knepp Castle Estate in West Sussex to the wild, letting nature return to their depleted land. It’s not as easy as one might think, the challenges are immense and as you listen you will be dismayed, heartbroken and inspired. Isabella Tree is the narrator of the Audible book and she is brilliant. Again, this is one of my favorites on my ‘listen and read’ book selection this year. You can view the story of Wilding here or view below.
Online: cooking, design, photography….
Cook: I have been following Salt Water Farm in Lincolnville, Maine for a while now, salivating with each description of Annemarie Ahearn’s cooking classes. The next one up is “Mastering the Art of Home Cooking”: September/October Series. There are lots ways to participate and you don’t have to travel to do so. You can read all about it here.
Decorate: If you enjoy the work of British interior designer, Rita Konig, this course from Create Academy might be the one for you. I always enjoy her monthly feature articles in House & Garden UK and wish I could whisk her over to Tahilla Farm for a little consult. I love the idea that I can gather thoughts from her online, in the privacy of my studio.
Photography: If photography is your thing, travel photographer, Kara Rosenlund has created a photography class in her latest blog post. She takes her camera, wanders into her backyard and shoots. The result is beautiful…personal and energizing. It sent me right out the door with my camera. I have mentioned Kara before, her KR Leather Bag is featured in My Favorite Things.
From me to you…
As always, I love sharing discoveries with you, especially if they spark an idea or thought and add a little brightness to your day. I am still happily writing postcards. If you received yours I would love to hear from you. If you haven’t yet, let me know that too. If you would like one, just drop me a line here.
If you have a question for me or would like to share your own thoughts, please feel free to write to me, Jeanne- info @collageoflife.com
Wishing you a wonderful day…may it be filled with things that bring you joy!
Jeanne xx
Through the meadow and along the old stone wall to Tahilla Farm….
